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Klay Thompson had a response to Charles Barkley's remarks about him last week. He was slightly offended, especially since the comment came from an NBA legend. Barkley responded to Thompson's reaction today on "Inside the NBA." Chuck expressed disappointment in the way the Warriors star handled his comments.
Barkley felt has was only stating facts about Thompson no longer playing at the elite level he once did. He mentioned that time isn't on Thompson's side. If he still plans on returning to his former self on the court, he'd better do it sooner rather than later.
While Barkley believes Thompson is still one of the best two-way players today, he feels it might be too late to make a comeback.
He said:
"When you get older, time ain't your friend. I love Klay. I need to say that this guy is the best two-way player in the NBA. But because of age and injuries, he's not the same guy."
How exactly did Klay Thompson react to Charles Barkley's initial comments?
Klay Thompson had a poor game against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 26. He had two points and two assists in 19 minutes. It was clear that he was frustrated with his performance and even got into a verbal altercation with Devin Booker during the game. The Suns star had an incredible night, scoring 34 points and seven assists.
After an overwhelming victory by Phoenix, Barkley had some things to say about Klay Thompson. Barkley vividly witnessed Booker outperform Thompson and pointed that the Warriors star was obviously frustrated.
Chuck then added that he is no longer the best two-way guard after a sorry performance:
"I think you saw tonight he's like 'this young boy is kicking my a** and there's nothing I can do about it.' There was a time when Klay Thompson was the best two-way guard in the NBA. He's not the same guy."
Apparently, Thompson heard Barkley's remarks and was hurt by what he said. Thompson acknowledged that Barkley was stating facts, but he just needs some time to recover. Thompson suffered two consecutive injuries, tearing both his ACL and achilles.
He made a good point that it's not easy to bounce back from such injuries:
"You know it hurts when someone like Charles Barkley says you're not the same player prior the injuries you have. It's like no duh man. For consecutive years I tore my ACL and achilles. Give me some freaking time to get that back. Who goes through something like that and comes back? I don't know, he just hurt my heart man."
It's really rough when great players suffer terrible injuries in their careers. It will never be easy to bounce back. Players like Derrick Rose and the late Kobe Bryant are primary examples. Thompson isn't happy with the way he's been performing recently. He will be looking to return to his former self at some point this season.
Guess the Lakers players!
